Valve.



T. H CLAPHAM.

VALVE. APPLICATION FILED JUNE 5.1917.

2 SHEETS-SHEEI I.

7 M J A WW W Attorneys.

T. H. CLAPHAM. v

VALVE.

APPLICATION FlLED JUNE 5,1911.

Patented Mar. 4,1919.

* UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

irnoivms H. CLAPHAM, or rrr'rsnune, xmsns.

A VALVE.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented-Mar. 4, 1919.

Application filed June 5, 1917. Serial No. 172,913.

lieve this vacuum by a port communicating with the atmosphere, since cold air will be permitted t enter the cylinder, thereby destroying the lubrication and damaging the piston, the rings, the packings and like parts.

To provide a means for relieving the vacuum, or partial vacuum, above mentioned is, broadly speaking, the object of the present invention. V

The invention aims, specifically, to provide a novel arrangement of valves and ports which, being located in the valve which controls the admission of steam to the cylinder, will bring about the desired results.

It is within the province of the disclosure to improve generally and to enhance the utility of devices of that type to which the present invention appertains.

With the above and other objects in view which will appear as the description proceeds, the invention resides in the combination and arrangement of parts and in the details of construction hereinafter described and claimed, it being understood that changes in the precise embodiment of the invention herein disclosed can be made within the scope of what is claimed, without departing from the spirit of the invention.

In the accompanying drawings Figure 1 shows in section, a portion of an engine cylinder, and a valve chest, equipped with the structure forming the subject matter of this application; p

Fig. 2 is a transverse section taken through the steam chest;

Fig. 3 is across section of the head of the valve;

Fig. 4 is a fragmental elevation showing a portion of the head of the valve;

Fig. 5 is a fragmental longitudinal section showing the invention applied to an outside admission valve;

Fig. 6 is a section on the line 66 of Fig. 5;

Fig. 7 is a section on the line 77 of Fig. 6; V

Fig. 8 is a side elevation showing a modified valve.

In thedrawings, the numeral 1 denotes the cylinder of a locomotive, in which operates a piston 2. The valve chest is shown at 3 and has an inlet port 4 communicating with a steam space 5 in the interior of the chest 3. In the chest 3 are mounted tubular bushings 6. Ports? lead to the interior of the cylinder 1 and communicate with ports 8 in the bearings 6.

extending across the steam space 5 longitudinally of the chest '3 is a steam admis sion valve which may comprise spiders 9 and a tubular body 10 connecting the spiders, the numeral 11 denoting a valve rod assembled with the spiders and passing through the interior of the body portion 10 of the admission valve. At onefside of the valve rod 11, the body portion 10 of the admission valve is provided with a longitudinal passage or bore 12.. l hroughout a portion of its-length, the passage 12 isopen at one side, as indicated at 14, to permit the insertion of a block 15, held in placeby bolts 16 engaging the body portion 10 of the valve- In the wall of thebody 10 of the valve are inner ports 17 which communicate with the passage 12 close to the ends of the block 15. The wall of the body 10 of the valve is provided with outer. ports 18 located near vto main seats 19 formed in the ends of the body 10 of the valve. The ports 17 and 18 communicate with the steamspace 5. Beyond the main seats 19, auxiliary seats 20 are formed in thebody 10 of the valve, and beyond the auxiliary seats 20 and at the extreme ends of the body portion 10 of the valve are formed cylindrical bores 21, communicating with chambers 22 at the ends of the valve chest 3.

A pair of valve structures is provided, each valve structure including a main member 23 having a frusto-conical end adapted to cooperate with the seat 19. At the inner end of the main member 23 is formed a boss 24 adapted to engage the end of the block 15. The main member 23 of ,each valve is provided with a stem 25 carrying an auxiliary member 26 tapered properly to Mounted to slide in the bushings 6 and cooperate with the auxiliary seat 20. Projecting from the auxiliary member 26 of the valve is a stem 27 carrying a guiding head 28 embodying radial wings 29 sli'dably received in the bore 21. The radial wings 2 9 are cut off on their ends at a'bevel, as shown at 30. v

Letit be'sHpposedtha-t the piston 2 is moving in the direction of the a-rrowsA and that the slide valve is moving in the direction' of the arrow B. Steam enters bythe inlet port 4, traverses the ports 17 and passes behind the main members 23, since these members are spaced from the endof the block"25by the bosses 24. The valve structures then are moved in opposite directions, the main members 23 cooperating with'the main seats 19, and the auxiliary members 26 cooperating with the auxiliary seats 20.

Let it be supposed, however, that the steam supply has'been cut off. Suppose, further, that the piston 2 is moving in' the direction of the arrow A, and that the admission valve is moving in the direction of the'arrow B. Under such eircumstances,'the right hand valve in the admission valve is open. When the piston 2 moves in the direction of the arrow 'A, the pressureto'the left of the piston 2 is increased, and this pressure passes byway 0f the left hand port 7 and the left hand port. 8 into the-left hand chamber 22 andthence is delivered, through the left hand bore 21 against the left hand valve in the admissionvalve. By this operation, the auxiliary member 26 of the left hand'valve will be moved away from the corresponding auxiliary seat'20, and the main member 23 of the left hand valve will be moved away from the corresponding main seat 19. When the main member 23 of the left hand valve moves to the right as above described, the left hand port "18 is opened, and consequently, the pressure in the left hand chamber 22 will pass by the way of the left hand port 18 into the space5, and thence pass by way of the right hand port 18 and the right hand bore 21 to the right hand chamber 22. In" this way, the'partial vacuum created by the movement of the piston 2 will be re lieved. When the engine is drifting, the pressure tends to build up in the chamber 22 (particularlyif the engine is moving at high speed) because 'the exhaust ports are of small area compared with the cross sectional area of the piston 2. Even when the engine is drifting, a remaining increment of exhaust steam will play some part in building up pressure, and the saturated steam'coming from the lubricator aids in building up pressure. There are many causes, arising out'of the operation of mechanisms and parts not shown and forming no part of thepresent disclosure, whereby pressure accumulates as aforesaid.

When the direction of travel of the piston 2 and of the admission valve is reversed, thenthe direction oftravel of pressure Wlll be reversed, a partial vacuum being prevent- :ed, as above stated.

Should the stem 25 break, the auxiliary member26 will be forced to a closed position by steam pressure, and will remaln' closed In Figs. 5, 6 and 7, wherein am'odified form of the inventionis shown, the cylinder appears at 31 and the piston working 'in the cylinder 31 is denoted by the numeral 32. The valve chestjis shown at 33. Ports '34 and 35 form communications between the cylinder 31 and the chest 33. A valve 36. is mounted toreciprocate in'the chest 33. The valve 36 has a superficial annular space 37 with which the ports 34 and 35 communicate alternately. The valve 36 has a'transverse passage 38 communicating with a longitudinal bore 39 including an auxiliaryseat40 and a main seat 41, there being ports "42in the end of the valve 36, which communicate with the seat 41. Secured to one end of the valve 36 is a casing 43 having an'opening44 in its end. Slidable in the casing 43 is fa head'45 carrying a main valve 46 cooperating with the seat 41, and a valve 47 cooperating with the seat'40. The valves'are connected with each other and with the head 45 by means of a stem 49. The stem "49 carries a winged guide 48 of the kind hereinbefore described. The steam inlet ports are shown at '75, and the exhaust port is shown at 100.

In Fig. 8, a modified form of valve is shown. In Fig. 8, the stem is shown at 101 and has a head l02corresponding to the part 47. In this form of the invention, the wings, instead of being beveled on their ends as shown at 30, are bodily inclined, as shown at 103. 7

Referring to the form shown in Fig. 5, when the'piston 32 moves in the direction of the arrow A, the valve 36 move's inthe direction of the arrow B. When thepistonv32 moves in thedirection of the arrow A, fp'ressure is created to the left of thepiston '32 inder; a

37 and by .way of the passage 38 through the bore 39-40 and by way of the ports 42 into the space at the right hand end of the valve 36, the pressure thence traversing the port 35 and relieving the partial vacuum to the right of the piston 32. When the piston 32 moves in a direction opposite to that indicated by the arrow A, the operation above described is reversed. When the engine is under steam, the pressure derived from the steam inlet 7 5 passes through the opening 44 and, acting on the head 45, closes the valve 47. Because the valve 47 is of less area than the head 45, the valve 47 will remain closed, when the engine is working under steam.

Having thus described the invention, what is claimed is 1. In a device of the class described, a cylpiston working in the cylinder; a chest having ports leading to the ends of the cylinder; an admission valve operating in the chest and provided in its ends with openings having seats, the admission valve having inner and outer ports communicating with each opening, and with the interior of the chest; inwardly opened pressure-com trolled valves in the openings and cooperating with the seats, the valves closing the outer ports when the valves move outwardly to closed positions on the seats; and means for limiting the inward movement of the valves thereby to maintain the inner ports open continuously and to supply pressure behind the valves.

2. In a device of the class described, a cyl inder; a piston working in the cylinder; a

chest having ports leading to the ends of the cylinder; an admission valve operating in the chest and including a bore having seats, and inner and outer ports communicating !with the interior of the chest; a stop in the bore; and inwardly opened pressure controlled valve structures coacting with the seats and operating in the bore, the valve structures cooperating with the ends of the stop to maintain the inner ports opened continuously, the valve structures closing the outer ports when the valve structures move outwardly to closed positions on the seats.

3. In a device of the class described, a cylinder; a piston working in the cylinder; a chest having ports leading to the ends of the cylinder; an admission valve operating in the chest and provided with a bore, one end of the bore communicating .With one end of the chest, the other end of the bore communicating with the chest, there being a seat in the bore, intermediate the ends thereof; and a valve structure operating in the bore, the valve structure including a stem, a head on the stem and cotiperating with the seat, and wings on the stem and guided in the bore, parts of the wings being inclined to efiect a rotation of the valve structure under pressure.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own, I have hereto aflixed my signature in the presence of two witnesses.

THOMAS H. CLAPHAM.

A. HU'rornsoN, J. P. GRAY.

Copies of this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of latentl, Washington, D. 0. 

